Finally! Been waiting to hear about this one! Sounds very similar to my Dongrui All-920. How's the driver's "No Memory"? Does it start in the next mode? Any pictures? Beamshots! Beamshots! Beamshots! How's the pill/heatsinking? You mention PWM on "Med" - does that mean the "Low" is more of a medium level output?
Thanks
I really like mine, too. Seems exceptionally well made for the price - I think I only paid about $12. Now you're tempting me with this Jacob A60..
It might be worth mentioning in your O.P. (maybe even thread title?) that this is a Solarforce M8 clone. I just had to search around to figure out which Solarforce this was a clone of.
Yes, it's a Solarforce M8 clone and in terms of machining quality it does it honor. It would be interesting to see an M8 version with the XR-E emitter.
I'll do some lux measurements, but I don't expect the Jacob A60 to out-throw Small Sun aspherical. I might compare them visually in the field tonight. Topping up the battery right now.
I have one coming too but having placed my order last tuesday I will probably use it first in the next flashlight season ;)
A downer is that the reflector is plastic. Not that it is a bad thing per se, but it was advertised by DX as an aluminium reflector. (But then, if I liked to get what I had ordered I wouldn't shop at DX...)
One question: does your sample tailcap-lockout (not sure if this is even a verb) reliably?
Well, I'm back from my excursion and here is what I saw (but my eyes have lied before).
At best focus, the Small Sun hotspot seems brighter, but is smaller. The emitter image makes the comparison a bit difficult. If I defocus the zoomer as required to enlarge the aspheric hotspot to the A60 size, the latter is unequivocally brighter. Now I really have to take luxmeter readings sometime soon.
Small Sun was drawing 1.33A, Jacob 1.75A. For the latter, I used one of my crappiest batteries, as I don't feel comfortable driving it harder than that, especially considering the poor heatsinking.
Re: Reflector.
I agree, an aluminium reflector would be nicer, although this one seems to do the job well. It's 50.4mm wide at the flange, 48.0mm at the cup (right below the flange) and depth is 45.0mm. All outer dimensions. Just in case someone knows where to get a matching alu one. I haven't searched yet.
Re: Tailcap-lockout
I just tried and seems to work fine. I never use that feature, so I can't speak about reliability, but I'm afraid I don't see the problem, at least not with regard to locking out.
Re "reliability": With a tailcap that does not locked out securely there is a (very small) risk that the light accidently turns on when carried in a bag with other stuff inside, thus draining the battery. Happened to me once, and -of course- when I didn't carry any spares.
Ah, I see now, but that shoudn't be a problem here. The oring exerts quite a bit of friction that should prevent the tailcap from turning easily when losened.
Your concern makes sense, though, since the switch is the softest I've seen.
When you receive the flashlight don't be disappointed if the lens looks total crap and soap and water doesn't make it clean. I had to rub it very well with acetone to get it in shape. Must be some protective layer applied to the glass while being cut to size. It's the first time it happens to me.